


It Was Funny Yesterday

by ajay_lotte



Series: The Yellow Car Initiative [11]
Category: Daredevil (Comics), Daredevil (TV), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Clint Barton Is a Good Bro, Gen, Minor Scott Lang/Hope Van Dyne, Scott Lang-centric, Team Red, Team as Family, as always, but it's also daredevil centric, mostly - Freeform, yellow car game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-19
Updated: 2020-11-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:41:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27634915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ajay_lotte/pseuds/ajay_lotte
Summary: In which Ant Man wants to join Team Red, Fury isn't as mysterious as he likes to think, and Clint Barton is an amazing human being.
Relationships: Clint Barton & Matt Murdock, Matt Murdock & Franklin "Foggy" Nelson, Matt Murdock & Peter Parker & Wade Wilson
Series: The Yellow Car Initiative [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1883668
Comments: 12
Kudos: 147
Collections: Vigilante Community





	It Was Funny Yesterday

**Author's Note:**

> Yoooo, another update though I really should be doing an assignment right now but eh, here we are  
> Marvel owns all these characters and stuff, this is just a fanfiction for my own amusement because I suck, I'm bored, and think Scott deserved a bigger cameo than his previous one  
> Warnings: swearing- I can probs take this off the warnings by now, but like, this is a thing now and I'm kind of committed  
> Hope y'all enjoy, Lotte :)

There’s one thing Scott hasn’t been able to stop thinking about. Actually, there’s several, but there’s one that stands out above the rest. And that’s Team Red.

“But Hope…”

“No, Scott!” Hope interrupts. “I don’t care what you do, I’ve told you that, but I am not helping you with your private mission to get an exclusive invite to team red.”

“But Luis…”

“Luis got to become Red’s friend himself with no help from you.” Hope argues before Scott can complain about that for the umpteenth time this month. “And they literally only complain about the Avengers together.”

“But I want to complain about the Avengers with Red.”

“Honey, you are an Avenger.”

“Well… Luis told me he loves the Avengers!”

“Honey, you are an Avenger.” Hope repeats herself, in the exact same tone, and with a victorious grin, she kisses her boyfriend into defeat. “Look, Scott, I really don’t want to get involved with this. You know, my parents are starting up Pym Technologies again properly, and I really want to have my interview prepared for.”

“Your parents are interviewing you?!”

“I’m making them. Unless you’re going to help me, go do something else. Like play with Cassie or something.”

“Cassie’s playing with Luis and Anthony. It’s my day off.”

“Then go and get yourself an exclusive invite to team red.”

Hope wasn’t expecting Scott to take that seriously.

It only takes Scott a day to get to New York- that’s the benefit of knowing several tech whizzes, and luckily for him, he arrives there ready for the optimal vigilante hunting time. “Ok, Scott,” he pep talks himself, “all you have to do is convince an assassin, a teenager, and the Devil to let a giant ant join their badass team. How hard can that be?”

Turns out- very.

“Holy fucking shit!” Scott yells, shrinking at the last possible second and narrowly missing being shot by a bullet. He grows again and notices a figure dressed in red waving at him happily from several roofs over. Shrinking once again, Scott takes a ride on a flying ant over to the roof and re-enlarges himself in front of the one and only Deadpool.

“Hey Scotty Wotty,” Deadpool says, and the slits in his mask narrow as he smiles at him, “you’re following me. I’ve already told Stevie that I don’t want to be arrested and become a part of the Avengers.”

“I’m not trying to arrest you.” Scott says defensively, voice pitched higher, and hands in the air as Deadpool holds a gun to his head. “Or recruit you! I want to join you!”

“You want to become an assassin?” He asks. “I mean, I know you’re a criminal, but there’s a long leap from cat burglaries to killing people my dear friend, though, I wouldn’t mind giving you some lessons.”

“Lessons?”

“Yes! In killing people… and in all other sorts of fun things if you’re up to it. I know you’re all cute and beautiful under that mask.”

“What?! No, I don’t want to kill people! Or have sex with you!”

“Jeez, no need to be so defensive. It’s only natural to deny your pleasures to begin with.” Scott takes a second to take a mental step back. Is he really having this conversation with a dangerously murderous veteran? “There, see. It’s just a matter of perspective!” Deadpool says, happily. “Now would you like to start with the fun or the ‘wink, wink, nudge, nudge’ fun?”

“Neither!” Scott shakes his head and takes a physical step back from Deadpool who lowers his gun.

“Then why are you following me?” He swings his gun dangerously in his hand, rubbing his chin with his fingers with his other. Scott stays deadly still to avoid being in firing range of the pistol.

“I was wondering about joining team red?”

Silence.

Deadpool laughs, hysterically, in an intimidating way that makes Scott blush. “Not possible mi amigo.”

“What? Why?”

“We’re a team. A family.”

“Based on teamwork and a matching colour scheme. I can do both those things!”

“And do you expect us to interview the Falcon, Iron Man, Captain America, Captain Marvel, Star Lord, Vision, Wanda, Thor, and Dr Strange as well?”

“You had interviews?!”

“No, dummy! We annoyed the shit out of each other until it started being banter.” Deadpool says, though he’s pretty sure every time he worked with Red and the man said he wanted to die, he wasn’t completely joking. But hey, it’s chill; they’re friends now and Red has a lot more energy. On and off. Peter was a good balance between the two. They fit like a pair of gloves for someone with three hands.

“Also, Captain America and Marvel mostly wear blue, so they don’t count. And Star Lord already has his own team of vigilantes.”

“So do you.”

“But the Avengers are legal! Not cool ass vigilantes!”

“Pete’s an Avenger.”

“So why can’t I be in your team?!” Deadpool pulls a sword out from his back and a knife from his pocket. Scott lost track of the swinging pistol, and the vigilante is sharpening his sword. He backs away, slowly, un-admittedly terrified of the masked murderer in front of him.

“Fly away little ant boy! We already have an animal-based hero on our team.” He waves until Scott bows his head and shrinks down to ant size and flies away from the building top. He listens to Deadpool singing some kids TV theme tune to himself which Cassie watches before he decides trying to get an ‘in’ from Deadpool is a lost cause.

One member down, two to go.

Scott leaves the Bronx to go to Queens, hoping to run into the friendly neighbourhood Spider Man. Similarly to finding Deadpool, it takes Ant Man a lot of tracking possible crime and villains, along with trailing potential routes across the city Spider Man takes by any left behind web. But unlike finding Deadpool, Scott finally ends up coming across Peter by accident. He had stopped to buy a burger from a stand open pretty late, and as it turns out, his teenage Avenger colleague person seemed to have the same idea. “Mr Ant Man!” Peter exclaims. “I didn’t expect to see you here!”

“Hey Spider Man; actually, I was looking for you.” The burger vender seems to be having a great time with this turn of events for his burger cart, but Scott thinks he’d prefer to have this conversation somewhere a little more private- especially if it turns out to be anything like Deadpool’s. Actually, maybe Scott should be more worried about someone so young hanging out with Deadpool.

“Oh, cool! Is there another mission?” Peter hums. “One double cheeseburger please, sir. Though, I’m not sure I’m quite up for another one as big as the last. Space was cool, but that was a rather last-minute decision, and I don’t think…”

“Hey, Spidey… I’m not here to take you up to space.”

“Or go subatomic. That’s not on my to do list either, though I’m pretty sure Pool and Double D might be up for something like that. Maybe. Or maybe they’d be like cats with water.”

“I wasn’t even going to suggest… can I talk to you…”

“Oh, in private! Super-secret stuff. Sure, on it. Thanks mister, keep the change.” Peter puts down some coins on the table, and there’s only a penny change, but Scott’s not going to steal his thunder as Peter picks him up with his super strength and swings them both up to the top of a nearby building.

“Is this trespassing?” Scott ponders.

“You’re beginning to sound like Steve. And you used to be a criminal!” Peter exclaims, and Scott shakes his head. This isn’t doing himself any favours for trying to get into team red- the coolest team in this universe. Then again, all three run around in dressing up costumes so they’re only as cool as Scott, and Scott spent all his time under house arrest learning magic tricks. And if that’s not cool, he doesn’t know what is. But ‘sounding like Steve’ definitely isn’t cool- in fact, it’s something he completely understands, especially after being on the same team as him in Civil War… even if the Captain ended up a war criminal because of that. No. He may be an amazing hero, but Captain America isn’t ‘cool’.

“I don’t sound like Steve.”

“Do too.”

“Don’t.”

“Mr Lang, as much as…”

“Call me Scott.”

“Mr Scott,” Peter corrects and Scott figures that’s as far as he’ll get, “why are you here?”

“Oh, right,” Scott says, and rubs the back of his neck for a second, “now that I’m about to say it, it’s actually a lot more embarrassing than I thought it would be originally, but… I was hoping I could join team red.”

“Uh, Mr Scott, you know I can’t just give you an invite, right?” Peter asks, and looks down at his burger to avoid all eye contact with Ant Man. The interchangeably sized hero takes off his mask- his identity is known by Peter, definitely, out of the three. Though Deadpool seemed to know who he was an hour ago, and that’s probably the Devil’s doing, because even though Scott hasn’t told the Man Without Fear his identity, the guy always has this uncanny ability to figure them out.

“I know, but I fit the role… I can work in a team and I wear red!”

“I mean, that’s kinda the thing about the others. They’re not really team players. So… it causes a lot of arguments, and the dynamic’s unnecessarily painful as it already is.”

“Do you not like being in the team?” Peter quickly shakes his head, and a bit of melted cheese runs out his lip. He wipes it away with his spandex-gloved hand.

“I do.” He says, mouth full. “It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Basically. Maybe besides meeting Tony, because I love science and stuff, but asides from Ned and MJ, they’re my best friends and they always look out for me. We’ve got each other’s backs, Mr Scott, which is why we’re more of a team than the Avengers.”

Ouch.

“We’ve got each other’s backs.” Scott defends.

“Only when you all agree with what the other is doing. We help each other despite any mistakes made or differing opinions.” Such wise words from such a young kid. Tony would be tearing up. “And on a more serious note,” Peter continues. More serious?! “They don’t sound like Steve.”

“Ugh!” Scott exclaims and falls backwards. “But I can do magic tricks!” For quite a few seconds, Peter is actually considering that as a valid argument to let Scott onto the team.

“I don’t know, Mr Scott. There are things you have to let slide.”

“Like Deadpool committing murder?”

Peter turns red. “Yeah, yeah… that’s one of them. And don’t get me wrong, neither Red or I like that, but… it’s effective, and he’s technically a vigilante, not a hero, and Frank kills people too.”

“Frank Castle is on team red?!” Scott yells, earning himself a desperate ‘shhh’ from Peter.

“No, but he’s an honorary Defender. And he got me a new skateboard for my birthday! I know that’s not a reason to support…” Scott interrupts, he’s still stuck on the previous sentence.

“The Punisher. Got you a skateboard. For your birthday.”

“Yeah.” Peter says, brushing it off, like it doesn’t matter that it was The Punisher. “It was a really cool board as well.”

“Was?”

“Yeah.” Peter sighs. “I lent it to Hottie-Mc. Burner-Phone, because they needed to get somewhere quickly, but they ran into contact with Wolverine, and Wolverine was super angry at the time, and he kind of snapped the board in half when HMBP said they couldn’t do anything about it.”

“About it? Hottie-Mc. Burner-Phone is one of Daredevil’s burner phone contacts, right?”

“Yeah, but haven’t you heard about the… never mind. But quite a few people know HMBP.” Scott can’t help but feel like he’s missing out on a lot in the superhero/vigilante world. “Sorry Mr Scott, although you’re great to work with on the Avengers team, I’m not sure I can just offer you a place like that.” Peter says, and that’s fine, because it wasn’t a ‘no’, and if he can persuade all three of them, then: jackpot.

It takes Ant Man a surprisingly short amount of time to get to Hell’s Kitchen, but still, by the time he gets there, the sun is rising, and Scott knows he’s missed the Devil by at least a couple of hours. Looking back, he probably should have come here first, but the more irritating part of his brain reminds him although he loves the one-off times that he sees the man, he’s also terrified, and coming here first would have been complete shambles. Begrudgingly, Scott ducks down an alley and changes his clothes behind some trash cans before the day begins completely. 

“Mr Lang?” A deep voice questions. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Scott spins around sheepishly, buckling up his jeans, chest bare, as he turns to face the one and only Nick Fury.

And the blind lawyer Tony Stark keeps trying to hire.

“Uh… getting dressed?” Scott can’t help the answer sounding like a question, and he can’t help the fact that his voice is squeakier than that of a mouse.

“Are you sure?” Fury raises an eyebrow at him, angling his head in order to provide Scott with optimum embarrassment. The lawyer’s mouth twitches just a little, but it’s too quick for either of them to accuse him of laughing. “As far as I’m concerned, Mr Lang, you have no business here in the Kitchen.”

“I could say the same about you.” Scott regrets the words as soon as they’re out of his mouth, and he wants to disappear as soon as he’s on the receiving end of one of Fury’s looks. The lawyer tilts his head to the side.

“Why are you here, Mr Lang?”

“I’m uh, here, because Tony sent me to try to recruit his favourite lawyers.” He says with a lot of faux confidence.

“Are you sure, Mr Lang?”

“Yes… why are you here?” Scott replies with, changing the conversation just enough to move the spotlight off him.

“Same reason.” Fury answers, and even Scott can tell that’s a lie. Either way, it gets Scott an invite to the lawyer’s office. Mr Murdock, he soon learns from Fury, and he then learns the names of his partners at the firm.

“Mr Fox, nice to see you again!” Mr Nelson greets when Mr Murdock stands back for them to enter the office; it’s not a large office, it’s actually quite homey… but it’s bigger than Scott’s by any means. Then the name clicks… Fox?

“Please, call me Noah.” And Scott figures that’s more for his benefit. “And this is a… friend of mine- Mr Scott Lang.”

“Scott Lang?!” Miss Page steps forward, holding her hand out for him to shake. “As in The Scott Lang?! From X-con Security Consultants?!” And honestly, Scott figured it was more likely she guessed his secret identity than the company he works for.

“You’ve heard of it?”

“Apparently, your work is a lot more fool proof than Mr Castiglione’s, considering your expertise.” His expertise? Scott notices the sign on her desk says she’s a PI, so maybe it isn’t that odd that she’s found out, especially if she’s comparing their work to another company’s. Still, though, it’s a lot of effort to go to research someone working so far away. “So much so, that it’s worth calling you from states away.”

Maybe she’s a mind reader.

“Miss Page.” Mr Nelson warns, and Scott turns to look at Mr Murdock who hasn’t reacted in the slightest. “A manner of professionalism is expected when greeting potential clients.”

“No, both Mr Fox and Lang are here on behalf of Tony.” Mr Murdock says.

“They are?!” Mr Nelson seems shocked. “Well, sorry, but we’re happy working our own firm.” Just as Mr Nelson finishes his sentence, the electricity in the office shuts down. Scott let’s put a small breath of amusement. Fury stays as expressionless as ever. Mr Nelson groans.

“That’s the third time this month!” Miss Page exclaims.

“The lights went out Matt.” Mr Nelson says, and Murdock snorts. “It’s not funny.”

“It was funny yesterday.”

“They went out yesterday?” Scott asks.

“No.” Nelson shakes his head, scowling at Murdock behind him. “Just something we were talking about yesterday.” Nelson’s scowl deepens and both Scott and Fury turn to look at Murdock, who seems very proud of himself. “I am giving you a look that rivals Jessica’s death glares Matt, and the appropriate reaction here would be for you to cower under the desk.” Murdock just laughs, which makes Miss Page laugh along.

“I’m going to go and make some phone calls. Get this sorted out.” Miss Page excuses herself, and Mr Nelson invites them all to sit down. Mr Murdock leaves his cane by the door and takes his own seat next to his law partner.

“We’d offer you coffee,” Mr Nelson starts, “but unless you want it cold…”

“We’re fine, thank you.” Fury answers for both of them. Scott would’ve liked some cold coffee. He’s been awake all-night hunting two thirds of team red. “Stark is willing to offer you a great deal for moving firms, where we can guarantee functioning lights.”

“I’m not sure that is one of the things you can guarantee,” Mr Murdock says, “if there is a power shortage, or a tripped circuit, or maybe an Avenger destroyed power line.”

“Mr Stark’s lawyers…”

“Do a lot of work for the Avengers.” Mr Murdock cuts off Fury and he dares to finish his sentence. Mr Nelson stays silent, looking at Scott like a child to their mother, and Scott can’t help but glare incredulously at the bravery of the lawyer in front of him. “Now I can’t say our case load has been hero or vigilante free, and representing the Avengers, if it comes to it, probably wouldn’t be an issue. But it’s the people of Hell’s Kitchen we need to defend, and most other law firms wouldn’t dare to go up against Stark and his team.”

If Scott wasn’t so busy being scared into listening to everything the lawyer has to say, and if he wasn’t here looking for the Devil, he might not have picked up on the Daredevil/Defenders motif weaved in at the end of the speech. But the way the man’s somehow staring down Fury behind his red tinted glasses has Scott petrified into silence.

“There are people here who need our help.”

It seems even Fury doesn’t know how to respond to that.

“Besides,” Murdock smirks just a little, and although terrified, Scott doesn’t miss how Nelson suddenly goes from shocked to resigned, “it’s not like I even need the lights.”

“Well, some of us do.” Nelson says, after a moment when Fury still hasn’t replied. “And it doesn’t take a genius to figure out you two being here to try and hire us is a load of bull. Stark’s already tried to buy us with much more detailed offers, ones which are a lot more favourable to us, too. And I’m pretty sure, Mr Lang, you came in here not even knowing our names.”

“He did.” Murdock clarifies. Though the look Nelson gives him suggests that statement wasn’t necessary, but Murdock doesn’t pick up on the cue.

“Are you here about Daredevil again?” Nelson asks.

“No.” They both say. Scott… way too quickly to be believed.

“Ok, fine- I’m looking for Daredevil.” He groans. “Any idea on how to find him?”

“You’re actively trying to find the Devil?!” Fury as near as exclaims. He even turns to face Scott, purely to raise an eyebrow at him. How many times does this man raise an eyebrow a day- it’s not even eight o’clock yet! “Are you insane?”

“Daredevil’s not that bad.” Scott says. “I’ve met him a couple of times, he’s chill.”

“Chill?” Fury and Nelson chorus.

“… ‘Chill’ may be the wrong word.”

“Dangerous. Feral. Evil. Looking for any of those words?” Fury offers. Nelson and Murdock seem to be stifling laughs, but if Fury doesn’t care about their audience, then neither will Scott.

“Intense. But there was The Lizard, and Bullseye, and then I met him at the lab and at X-Con just before the second civil war.” Nelson whispers something to Murdock, who replies, making Nelson light up like a Christmas tree, possibly like a child would upon meeting an Avenger. But there’s no way that’s what was said- neither of them would know his identity. “But he’s a really cool guy.”

“He’s a psychopath.”

Before Scott can respond, Foggy cuts him off. “If you don’t actually need lawyers, and you’re genuinely not here on behalf of Tony Stark… or even if you are, please can you leave? We need to open up shop.”

They all shake hands.

It’s very formal, and it’s a whole thing.

“Oh, and Mr Lang?” Mr Murdock says as he’s showing him out of the office. “The Devil normally comes if you scream.” Those words don’t leave Scott with much confidence as he leaves the office.

“Why are you here?” Scott asks Fury when they’re out of earshot. Fury puts his hand to his chest, and Scott’s pretty sure he catches a glimpse at a rosary before Fury scowls at him and simply says:

“What is my business doesn’t concern you, Mr Lang.” Scott’s pretty sure he was here for the Devil too. “Make your way back to San Francisco; don’t you have a daughter to pick up from school?” And oh, how he doesn’t quit it with the evil eyebrow. Fury walks away leaving Scott there to contemplate how much worse his day is going to get.

It turns out, standing on a roof and screaming doesn’t bring the Devil. Scott’s been stood here since eleven, and it’s nearing one. He quickly decides he’s going to blame Mr Murdock for any idiotic spur of the moment decisions. “He’s not gonna turn up if you’re pretending!” A voice from the street below shouts up at him. Scott steps to the edge of the roof and looks down.

“Clint?!” Scott turns small and jumps off the building, catching a ride on an ant down. “Hey Clint, what are you doing here?” He returns to his original size just in front of the archer.

“I’m here to meet Daredevil.”

“Same!” Scott exclaims.

“Why?” The Devil drops down in front of them. Scott screams. Clint laughs. Red growls.

“I was hoping to join team red?”

“No.” He states and turns to walk in the direction Clint was already walking. Clint puts an arm around Scott’s shoulder and leads him along with them.

“But…”

“Spider Man rang me last night; said you might be coming. We spoke.”

There’s a little bit of hope: “and?”

“No.”

“I spoke to Deadpool too.” Clint tries not to laugh at the fact that this is already a lost cause.

“You interrupted his job.”

“You always interrupt his jobs.”

“It’s different.” Clint answers that for Red and hits them both on the shoulder. “Yellow car. It’s like if I stopped Nat from drinking Tony’s coffee in comparison to Sam stopping Nat from drinking Tony’s coffee.” Unfortunately that’s something Scott can understand. “Sam’s a friend, an Avenger, a hero who is bird related.”

“But he’s not you.” Scott realises.

“You also live in San Francisco.” Daredevil says. “You can’t patrol.”

“And you don’t do parkour,” Clint says, “though- yellow car- Deadpool’s is questionable.”

“Deadpool’s only on team red because he created it. Or the readers did… the line’s still blurry.” The Devil’s lips quirk, and Scott looks over to Clint who doesn’t seem to catch onto the joke either. Maybe it’s a team red thing. Or a Defender thing. Or maybe a Nat thing- they spar. Then Scott realises his mistake… the Devil always seems to be roped into things, and not very open to other people.

“Hey, you should become a part of the Avengers!” Scott exclaims. Double D stands frozen. He knows the Avengers have been trying to recruit Daredevil for ages. “Hey, I could make my own group… like… the Recruiters! Me, Tony, Steve… maybe Bucky.”

“Sounds like a plan, Ant Man!” Clint laughs, and with a dramatic backflip and vault up a drainpipe, the Devil is gone. “I guess we won’t be drinking tonight. Want to come out for a beer instead?”

“Sure. Will you join the Recruiters?” Scott asks, and Clint snorts.

Daredevil, intrigued by the answer from the man, decides to stay behind and listen to the answer… when he says, ‘stay behind’, he’s three blocks away, but it stops him in his tracks anyways. “No.” Clint says, “I think it’ll be really funny, but I think we’re friends now. I mean… I’ve considered him a friend for ages, but Red’s finally loosening up. And I’m not going to do anything that could jeopardise our friendship, it’s too much fun.”

Finally? Actually… that’s probably a fair assumption. He still refuses to arrive anywhere before Clint. But from the inside, it feels like he’s been trusting the archer for ages.

Daredevil vaults over a roof and runs to Foggy’s flat. He knocks on the window until the man finally wakes up, ignoring a complaining Marci. “Are you hurt?!” Foggy asks, throwing the window open only for Matt to jump expertly through. He shakes his head and starts jumping. “You’re really happy.” Foggy analysis, and Matt just nods, grinning. He takes his mask off and suddenly the smile suits the face so much more. “What’s happened buddy?”

“Hey Matt.” Marci turns on the light and walks over to the kitchen to get herself a glass of water.

“You know who Matt is?!”

“He’s not got the mask on, Foggy Bear. But also yes. Since college. Does this mean I can finally come to the IKD drinking group on Saturdays?” So many things need questioning here, but Foggy settles with a nod and goes back to the overexcited Matty in front of him.

“Yeah. What’s so important that we needed waking at half one in the morning?”

“Clint.” Matt beams. “I’m going to tell Clint who I am.” He turns around and dives out of the window.

“Wait! I still don’t know who Clint is!” Foggy yells, running over to the window. But the Devil’s already gone.

**Author's Note:**

> An end of fic note? Fuck, that's not canon  
> I left this on a cliff hanger- sorry, not sorry :p but idk whether I'm 'a write a spin off based on the human disasters (set in the Yellow Car Verse but not the main initiative) or just put it in the next fic  
> Let me know what u think, Lotte :)


End file.
